NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jaelon Benjamin, CB, University of the Cumberlands

        •       Name:  Jaelon Benjamin
        •       Height: 5’8
        •       Weight: 161
        •       Position: Cornerback, Nickleback
        •       College: University of the Cumberlands
        •       Twitter: Benji_Jae

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

•Albany, Georgia. A real southern city. The city is very prideful.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• I would place them in the order of how I view in which is practice which is both physical and mental, film study which is all mental and strength and conditioning which is again physical and mental. I believe they all go and in hand. You need all three to be complete.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry most about my family members and not letting down the ones that believe in me.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• End of my junior year I kept failing at doing 315 on max day for bench. I failed the first two times and just kept trying until I couldn’t even pick it up anymore and I guaranteed that I would be able to do it before fall camp of my senior year.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•Fearlessness. Simply because I’m not afraid of anything and always believe anything is possible.

•Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

•Aaron Cooper. He played for Kentucky Christian. Played linebacker, was a pure animal.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?

•Becoming a coach or doing physical therapy to stay around football.

Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?

• Room, that’s where I lay my head at. That’s a direct indication of how I live.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

•Day-Day on Next Friday, he just had one of the funniest parts ever.

•Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

Tearing my ACL my 8th-grade year during football season. I ended up waiting to after the football season to get my surgery done. I was a multi-sport athlete. So it was tough sitting out basketball season and then not being able to fully participate in football going into my freshman year of high school ball but my pops talked to me and told me how it was important to take my time and do this right and work so I could go ahead and return at 100%.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•On the field, this year we were playing Campbellsville and I was defending the receiver, my safety ended up coming over and tipping the ball and I just was looking around and next thing you know I see the ball fall out the air. I was completely lost. I had lost the ball in the lights.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My 103 yard blocked extra point return for a conversion. We were on the brink of losing momentum in our game against our rival my junior year and they bobbled the snap and their kicker just shanked it into one of our player’s hands. As I see my teammate pickup the ball the other team started swarming him and I just yelled to him “pitch it, pitch it” and the rest is history.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Keep Your Head Up by Lucci and T.I.

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?

•Mentality. However, your mentality is will determine how you go about your work.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

•My Grandma Ruby, she helped so many people and was loved all around the city. It was just a shocker to me that she was leaving, I wasn’t ready.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?

•All The Way Live

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

•Even though he got some of the media attention, I still believe Stephen Gilmore is underrated. He is consistent every year but he’s not just in the media so he gets overlooked.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•I’d rather be Respected, I just feel it means more when they respect you.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

•Aaron Hernandez, He was one of the tops at his position and was on the team with the Greatest quarterback to ever play. He’d be on his 4^th super bowl by now, but I just know so many people adored him and he could have wind up being a hall of famer.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•Hate to lose, I can’t stand it. I’ll think about it forever.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

•By far my parents, they have persevered through so much. If I had to tell you all everything I would never be able to finish typing. Realist people on my team they showed me the ropes and instilled in me so much and they are the reason I’m always am thinking positive.